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No reason for panic closure

Invercargill is categorised as being in a medium seismic risk area. Under the Building (Earthquakeprone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016, buildings must be assessed in 10 years and upgraded within 25 years to 34 per cent of the seismic standard.

Buildings that are under 34 per cent of the seismic standard must be strengthened earlier where significant alterations are undertaken.

No apparent reason there to close the museum in a panic.

Invercargill City Council chief executive Clare Hadley stated (April 21) that the decisions to close the museum were made in accordance with the law to ensure the safety of people and that legal advice had been sought. She did not say that legal advice had been followed.

Presumably the chief executive’s reference to ‘‘the law’’ means the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA).

WorkSafe enforces the HSWA. WorkSafe states it will not take action against building owners in relation to the earthquake resilience of buildings as that is covered by the Building Act and enforcement is the responsibility of local councils.

However, if there is injury or death from an earthquake and an owner had failed to comply with the Building Act, WorkSafe might initiate action. This is taken to mean a situation where earthquake strengthening had not been done on time but WorkSafe has not clarified this point. Items in and around a building that could be dangerous must be identified and managed.

No apparent reason there to close the museum in a panic either.

This saga does not appear to signal a new age of enlightenment, transparency and inspired leadership from the council.

Why not give details of the legal advice?

The actions of the council must raise questions as to whether it is capable of enforcing earthquake legislation, as is its responsibility. According to his column a week ago, the mayor believed that buildings rated below 33 per cent of the seismic standard must be closed. Is that why Anderson House was closed?

The council may be trying to force funders to come to the museum’s aid by cynically orchestrating a public outcry. If so, that has backfired.

Not all risks can be mitigated but to put our position into perspective, the calculated return period for a category 9 earthquake in Invercargill is 2000 years. Let’s re-open the museum and work through the earthquake provisioning in accordance with the earthquake legislation. Dave Rohan Invercargill

Anderson House

In response to Aaron Fox (April 23), I do not believe that many public meetings and three lots of public consultation over four years is indecent haste to make a decision about our public art collection.

The people of Invercargill overwhelmingly wanted to have public art and creative programmes more accessible in the city centre and this could not be provided from a stately home on the city boundary.

The Art Centre proposed in the Invercargill City Council Long Term Plan is a long overdue investment into the arts and our creative communities.

The Invercargill City Council plans to restore Anderson House, one of the last remaining Cecil Woods’ buildings (most were destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes) and have it open to the public again.

The people of Invercargill can still determine its future use.

The photographic exhibition (ends May 5) of the interiors of Anderson House is a beautiful celebration of architectural design by one of New Zealand’s foremost photographers, Adrienne Martyn, and should support the preservation of this historic treasure.

I invite Mr Fox to view it for himself and talk to us about his concerns. Dave Kennedy President, Invercargill Public Art Gallery